Aquatic torch or light buoy



Oct. 12, 1943. A. THIEBAULT AQUATIC TORCH OR LIGHT BUOY Filed Feb. 4. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 9 ANTON; THEBAULT aw 6 ATTORNEYS against the bushing 2|.

Thus constructed, the improved apparatus operates in the following manner:

Due to the presence of its tail fins, theapparatus when released always falls in a vertical position in the water, and as soon as it touches the water, the diaphragm-i I is pushed back in+' side the cylinder 9 as would a piston, whilemoving, by means of the push member II, the rod l2 in the direction of the arrow A. This movement, Which'is indicated in dotted lines, has the efiect first of all of tearing away the diaphragm I6 and uncovering the orifice I'L- and then of perforating the diaphragm 20 by means ofthe -jet 15. At this instant, the tension of the spring 22 causes the contact of the tube 13 forming the valve M against the bush or seat of thejvalve 2| to occur. I

As the diaphragm l6 has beentorn away, the water penetrates inside the apparatus up to the water line B.

Due to the illuminating composition being moistened, illuminating gas is produced instantaneously and penetrates into the perforated tube l3 and into the jet l5 where it ignites on contact with the air in accordance'with the principle described above and also set forth in the mentioned French patent. l

An automatic operation is thus obtained which completely eliminates any necessary initial and sometimes diflicult manipulation. These improvements make it possible to allow the apparatus to fall freely without any precaution and ensure completely automatic operation, by means of the appropriate shape of the apparatus, and by means of the special device described for the perforation of diaphragms which is obtained solely by the movement of a diaphragm which in turn only operates at the instant of the impact against the water or under'a predetermined hydrostatic pressure. Said improvements constitute a most important advance in this kind of apparatus. In said apparatus the shapes, the dimensions and the materials used for its manufacture may vary without necessarily changing the general arrangement of theinvention which has just been described.

Having now fully described my invention, I

claim: 7

1. In an aquatic torch or light buoy of the character described, having a hollow elongated water, the combination of aplurality of watertight safety diaphragms individually sealing and protecting both the jet portion and said illuminating material from exposure, and operative means including a part of suflicient area to be effective upon contact with the water, to automatically perforate and. tear the water-tight safety diaphragms.

2. An aquatic torch or light buoy particularly adapted to be dropped from an airplane into water, comprising in combination, an elongated hollow casing having converging closed portions at the ends thereof, a transverse water-tight partition across the intermediate portion of the interior of said casingsubdividing .said interior into two main chambers, one of which serves to buoy up the device as a whole in the water and the other chamber to contain an illuminating gas l producing composition, a substantially transverse foraminous partition subdividing said other chamber into a large end compartment forming the actual container for said gas producing material and a smaller chamber intermediate the two partitions, a conduit extending through said water-tight partition longitudinally through the casing and the first chamber therein to the converging end of said casing terminating said first chamber, gas burning means upon the outer end of said conduit, a foraminous conduit extending through said end compartment longitudinally of the casing from the foraminous partition through the converging end of the casing terminating said compartment, there being exterior means 'for maintaining said casing in vertical position when falling through the air, frangible diaphragms individually closing the outer end orifices of both of said conduits at the two ends of the'casing, and operative means for automatically tearing and perforating said diaphragms upon contact of the buoy with water, said operative mean being actuated by water pressure developed by impact of said buoy with the water.

"ing a central aperture in said cap, a foraminous hollow cylinder open at both ends secured atone of its ends to said outer end of the casing in a position to surround said cap, a convex hydrostatic diaphragm extending transversely across said foraminous cylinder and spaced exteriorly from'said cap, a movable rod extending through the aperture in said cap and into both conduits,

one of the frangible diaphragms secured to said rod and normally closing said aperture in the cap, a head upon the end of said rod disposed exteriorly of said cap and contacting with said hydrostatic diaphragm, a foraminous tube upon the other end of said rod having a converging portion terminating in and carrying a jet forming gas burning means adjacent the end of the casing terminating the water-tight chamber, a valve seat disposed within the outer end of the conduit terminating at said latter end of the casing and cooperating with the converging end of said rod, the other frangible diaphragm normally closing said outer end'of said latter conduit and the gas jet, being adapted to lide in said outer end .of the conduit during movement of said rod, and

resilient means tending to urge the rod toward said valve seat in order to press said converging end of said rod into contact with said seat.

ANTOINE THIEBAULT. 

